If You Wanna Play, You Gotta Pay

In a Pro article at MarketingProfs, Jeanette Kocsis argues that paid search should be a mandatory component of your marketing mix. "Search is one of the most targeted forms of marketing, since the prospect is already looking for what the marketer is offering," she explains. To leverage that built-in connection, she recommends five action points—and here's a quick overview of the first two:

Set your strategy. "Like most types of marketing," she says, "search campaigns without a marketing strategy are doomed to fail." Avoid that fate with an exhaustive plan that includes:

• Clear goals and objectives
• Well-defined target audiences
• Relevant offers
• Methods for tracking conversion
• Synergy with natural search efforts
• Timing that complements other marketing campaigns

Choose your keywords. Kocsis recommends building lists from a variety of sources like:

• Search terms used to find and navigate your site, especially those used by visitors who converted to prospects or customers
• Keywords used by competitors
• Research gathered from direct customer interaction
• Blogs, wikis and other formats that host user-generated content
• Brand names, trademarks, product names and/or newfangled industry terminology

Kocsis offers an important caveat for keyword selection: "Avoid corporate-speak—words used internally may not be the keywords used by prospects or customers."

The Po!nt: "It is not advisable to view paid search in a vacuum," says Kocsis. "[W]hen planning for success, marketers must remember what drives people online to see and click on their paid search ads."

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